Hollywood Heartthrob Hero
by Takara Phoenix
Summary: Instead of giving Jason up when he was two, Beryl sobered up and got her act together. Thalia never ran away and Jason grows up with a loving mother and a nagging sister. He follows into her footsteps and becomes a child actor, playing Hercules in a Disney live-action show. And Percy? He grows up with a crush on Jason. Jason/Percy slash Jercy
1. The Adventures of Young Hercules

PJatO || Jercy || PJatO || Jercy || Hollywood Heartthrob Hero || Jercy || PJatO || Jercy || PJatO

Title: Hollywood Heartthrob Hero – The Silver Screen Hero and the Real-Life Hero

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, canon divergent, celebrity crush, actor AU (kinda), fluff, pining, f/f, m/f

Main Pairing: Jason/Percy

Side Pairings: Octavian/Luke, Nico/Alabaster, Bianca/Annabeth, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse, Grover/Juniper, Tristan/Beryl

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper McLean, Thalia Grace, Annabeth Chase, Bianca di Angelo, Nico di Angelo, Alabaster C. Torrington, Octavian, Luke Castellan, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Chris Rodriguez, Clarisse la Rue, Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf, Grover Underwood, Juniper, Ethan Nakamura, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Frank Zhang, Sally Jackson, Tristan McLean, Beryl Grace, Mrs. O'Leary, Festus

Summary: Instead of giving Jason up when he was two, Beryl sobered up and got her act together. Thalia never ran away and Jason grows up with a loving mother and a nagging sister. He follows into her footsteps and becomes a child actor, playing Hercules in a Disney live-action show. And Percy? He grows up with a crush on Jason.

 **Hollywood Heartthrob Hero**

 _The Silver Screen Hero and the Real-Life Hero_

 _Part 1: The Adventures of Young Hercules_

Jason Grace was two years old when things in the Grace-household changed. Beryl was desperate, overwhelmed and she had nearly lost her children. Zeus had screwed her over twice and when his wife showed up to screw her over a third time – and to take away _her son_ – Beryl realized she had to set new priorities in her life. She had to change something, or else she would lose her kids.

Once upon a time, she was someone. She was a famous starlet, an actress with a bright future. And then Zeus had fucked her and left her. And she had her life barely back together six years later, when Zeus returned and fucked it all over once more and left her pregnant again.

She couldn't let the gods ruin her life any further. She was not going to allow them to take away her children. She had _chosen_ to keep them, to have them both. She was not going to give them up now.

Thalia Grace was seven years old when her mother got her life sorted out again. She had been so desperate, if not for her baby brother, she would have run away already. But then something in her mother changed. Beryl started sobering up, throwing out all the alcohol, going to meetings. She started taking jobs again – small ones, background roles, dying on cop shows and such, everything to make the money to put food on the table for her children.

/2000\

When Jason was five, he stood in front of the camera for the first time. It was just a five minute scene in total, playing his mom's son – and that he could! The kid who was supposed to play the part had gotten sick and Jason and Thalia had been there anyway, watching mom at work.

It was fun. Jason got to play scared and scream really loud and afterward he got a lollipop.

In fact, it was so much fun, Jason wanted more. So Beryl brought him to a few auditions and Jason played a couple small parts. Commercials, children on TV. Learning his lines was fun, it was like learning songs, like how he and Thalia learned the texts to all their favorite Disney songs and Jason totally could speak along to like all of _Lion King_ , which was his favorite movie.

It was around that time that Beryl met a man. His name was Tristan and he was an actor, like Beryl. They played side by side in a buddy cop comedy, Beryl playing a ditsy blonde and Tristan playing the serious no-nonsense part. The movie was kinda funny, but mainly Jason was busy playing with Tristan's daughter. Because like Beryl, Tristan was a single parent and his daughter Piper was exactly the same age as Jason. The two five-year-olds were in the studio's daycare together.

Jason and Piper quickly became the best of friends and they hung out a lot. They often even shared a babysitter because Tristan and Beryl started going out to rehearse their lines together and even after the movie was done, they continued going out together.

/break\

"Da—ad. I don't wanna go home", protested Piper with a pout.

"Sweetheart, it's late and both you and Jason should be in bed already", argued Tristan.

He hoisted her up and kissed her cheek, throwing a last loving look at Beryl before he left the Graces apartment. Jason pouted as he waved his best friend goodbye. Thalia was watching them from the couch, looking up from her gameboy. There was such a soft smile on Beryl's lips as she looked at the now closed door. She wasn't _stupid_. She was twelve years old; she knew that her mom was totally dating Tristan McLean. But the guy seemed to make her happy and unlike other boyfriends, he didn't seem to make her drink or take anything else. She was still sober, she was taking bigger roles now. Thalia... was _proud_ of who her mom was at this point.

"What... do you kids think about Tristan?", asked Beryl as she ushered Jason to his room.

"He's cool. He made brownies with Pipes and me last week", grinned Jason. "And he rehearsed my lines with me! He taught me really cool tricks to learn too."

"He's okay", shrugged Thalia, acting indifferent. "Piper is cute though. Always wanted a little sister. If I can't exchange this one for a sister, I'd take Piper."

"Hey!", exclaimed Jason with the biggest pout.

"Eh, still love you, squid", grinned Thalia and ruffled Jason's hair. "Mostly."

Beryl smiled amused as she helped Jason change into his pajamas. "So you like Tristan and Piper? And... would you like it if we'd... see them more often?"

"Ye—es!", exclaimed Jason. "They're awesome!"

Beryl chuckled as she brushed Jason's hair out of his face. "That... That's good because I like Tristan too. A lot even. I haven't... liked someone that much in a while."

"But you don't like him more than me, right?", asked Jason wide-eyed.

"Oh, baby boy, I'd never like anyone more than the two of you", assured Beryl and pulled him in to tickle his stomach and pepper his face with kisses. "You're my prince and princess after all."

/2002\

Jason caught his first big break when he was seven. He played a mischievous little boy in a fun family comedy. His face, large on the poster. Tristan and Beryl took the kids to the premiere together and it felt like a real actual _family_. They had been living together for a couple months by then. Thalia complained about having to share her bathroom with them, Piper and Jason sneaked out to whisper and stay up past their bedtime, Tristan made them strawberry pancakes and in the evening they all had family dinner together.

The year continued being awesome for Jason, because months later, he actually got a dad. Beryl and Tristan officially got married. They put Jason into a stupid suit that he didn't really like, but it was okay because they also put _Thalia in a dress_ and that was a picture Jason would be using for blackmail for years to come. She kept glaring and being grumpy which only made it better for Jason, really. But the wedding was great, his mom looked like a real Disney princess and she looked so happy. And they had awesome cake and food and the next day, there were photos of their family all over the newspaper, because mom and _dad_ were famous actors. Dad. He had a dad now.

/break\

Luke Castellan had been on the run alone for a long time before he had met Annabeth Chase two years ago. He took the frightened young girl under his wing and together, they continued traveling the United States. A few weeks ago, they had taken in another stray when traveling through Texas. Leo Valdez, the most adorable wide-eyed little boy, afraid of his own fire-powers. Annabeth latched onto Leo as a little brother. She was incredibly intelligent and responsible and Luke could not be prouder of his little sister. The three of them had to be able to rely on each other.

"Hey, you fine there, little lion?", asked Luke with a smile, wrapping an arm around Leo.

The little boy cuddled up to him and stared at him with large, innocent eyes while munching a doughnut – Luke had snagged a couple earlier at a coffee shop. Leo shook his head and snuggled more up to Luke. The kid was so traumatized from losing his mother, it was really hard getting him to open up and making him trust them, but Luke and Annabeth were slowly getting there.

"What's wrong?", wanted Annabeth to know with a frown.

"I miss my mom", whispered Leo upset, nibbling his doughnut.

"I... I know, kid", sighed Luke with a frown, rubbing Leo's arms. "And I'm sorry you lost her, but... you got me and Annabeth now and we'll watch over you. We're your family now."

There was something akin to hope sparkling in Leo's eyes as the little fire-bender nodded.

/break\

A kind smile played on Sally's lips as she let Percy drag her along. He was absolutely excited about this new movie – _Minor Mischief_ – and the two had already seen it once, but today they were going to see it for the second time. Normally, that kind of thing wouldn't be in the budget for them, but Percy had wished for it as a birthday present. He was turning nine today and how could Sally deny him anything. Percy seemed to adore the mischievous blonde main character in the movie, who kept playing pranks and getting into trouble but was ultimately a good kid.

"He's awesome", declared Percy with a giddy grin, kicking his feet back and forth.

"He is really, really cool!", agreed the little boy sitting next to him in the theater.

"I've seen the movie before, you too?", asked Percy curiously.

"Twice already!", declared the younger boy. "I'm Leo! That's my big sister Annabeth!"

The blonde girl on Leo's other side leaned forward to wave at Percy and Sally. Sally raised one curious eyebrow. Their clothes were sloppily patched up and there was no adult with them. There was no way those two kids had actually paid for the tickets. They looked like street-kids.

"Do you want some popcorn?", offered Percy, holding his bag over to Leo and Annabeth.

Leo's eyes sparkled and he happily grabbed two hands full, stuffing his face like a hamster. Sally laughed at how adorable the little boy looked. Until the movie started, Percy talked very animatedly with Leo and Annabeth, though the latter kept out of the conversation for the most part. It was nice seeing Percy talk to other children, he was such a longer. Mostly due to his heritage, being a demigod had othered him. He talked to fishes at the aquarium, he was 'different'. Sally hated that, she hated that her little boy couldn't make any friends.

"Oh, the movie is starting! Sh!", whispered Leo, bouncing in his seat.

/2003\

Part of Thalia had always known she was _different_. She had powers. She had first noticed that when she was around seven and really, really angry – Jason had barely been born and their mom had gotten drunk and left Thalia to tend to Jason on her own when suddenly, the lights had fizzed out. Electricity coursing through Thalia's very being. Over the past years, Thalia had noticed that there was _more_ to it though. There were monsters out there, monsters chasing her. And there was a... a kind of magic barrier that prevented other normal people from seeing those monsters. Thalia taught herself to fight – with a pocket-knife she had borrowed-with-no-intention-of-returning and also with her powers. There was more to it though, the magic barrier was _more_ than just that and Thalia could actually manipulate it. She had taught herself how to manipulate it. Because the monsters started to pay attention to Jason and Piper now too – and Thalia was not going to allow them to hurt her little siblings. The two were only eight years old and Thalia was doing everything in her powers to keep them safe. She could bend the protective barrier that shielded monsters from the eyes of the mortals so that instead, it covered her and her siblings from the monsters' eyes (and noses).

At fourteen, Thalia Grace knew how to manipulate the Mist, without even knowing what the Mist was, and she had learned how to protect herself and Jason and Piper, without any trainer.

"Thals, I'm bo—ored", groaned Piper as she collapsed next to Thalia on the bed.

The two were alone at home. Jason was off shooting _Major Mischief_ , the sequel to the hit-movie _Minor Mischief_ from last year. It had proven so popular among kids and preteens that the studio decided to double down on it and shoot a sequel. Tristan was with him, watching out for Jason (Tristan and Beryl never left him alone on a set, making sure their son was never overworked and that the shooting was still fun for him). And Beryl was off to work herself – she had landed a leading role in some sit-com. The family sat together and watched all the episodes together and it was actually pretty funny. The story of three unsuccessful actors in Los Angeles who lived together, following their misadventures and random jobs alongside of failed auditions. Beryl had related hard to the role of Betty Gold when she had first auditioned and she really enjoyed working on the show.

"What do you want to do, Pipes?", asked Thalia as she joined her little sister.

"I dunno. Something fun. Can we like... do something cool?", asked Piper hopefully.

"Sure. Come on", grinned Thalia and went for the toy-swords Jason kept.

Playing princess and knights had always been their favorite thing to play, Thalia had been using it slyly to teach Jason and Piper _actual_ sword-fighting so they would one day be able to defend themselves against monsters too. Piper grinned broadly as she took one of the swords and took stance to attack Thalia. The younger girl had really taken to Thalia as a role-model, much to Beryl's dismay. Beryl had kind of hoped to have a daughter to play dress-up with in Piper, but Piper preferred the fun punk-look Thalia was wearing. Thalia had her hair dyed dark-blue and had a mohawk these days, both things Beryl had only very reluctantly allowed after Tristan had encouraged it – it was Thalia's way of expressing herself and if she'd have wanted to dye her hair blonde and get broad princess-curls Beryl would have allowed it too, after all.

/break\

"The cookies are done, guys! If you don't help me decorate them, I'll eat them on my own!"

"What? No—o! You can't Luke!", exclaimed Percy and rushed over to the kitchen.

Luke laughed as Percy collided with his side, pouting up at the teenager. As always, Annabeth and Leo were quick to be after Percy. Luke grinned as he handed out the colorful sugar-paste. From the other room, Sally poked her head out to smile at them. Ever since their first encounter with Leo and Annabeth half a year ago, they had met the kids repeatedly. Over the following weeks, Sally had come to realize that they were indeed runaways living in the streets. Luke was the oldest of the trio, but even he was only seventeen years old. He was a kid too and Sally hated to see those children having to fend for themselves. So she had made a decision. She had offered them a roof overhead. They got an additional bunk-bed for Percy's room, cramming Annabeth and Leo in with him, while Luke seemed fine sleeping on the couch in the living room.

Taking the children in had been a very important decision in her life though, because it had been Luke who had spoken up, even before she took him in, that she deserved better than Gabe, that he shouldn't hurt her and Percy. That there had to be something better for them. It was how she learned that the three children were demigods too, because Luke had noticed that Percy was special like them. There was another way. Poseidon had told her about Camp Half-Blood. A safe haven for demigods. But she had never wanted to part ways with her son. Luke made her see that keeping him here and making them both suffer under Gabe was not a solution either though.

They came to a compromise. The children spent their summers and their vacations at Camp Half-Blood and the school-year, they lived with Sally. She didn't like the idea of them living at a summer camp, that was just ridiculous. They had to go to school, they needed a home.

Luke had been overwhelmed and confused by her kindness. That she did not just dump them at camp and be done with it, that she insisted they attend school, that she offered them to live with them. She provided the motherly warmth Luke had not experienced in too long. In return, he helped her out at home. He was great with the three younger kids, he gladly helped out with groceries and cooking and he babysat whenever Sally had to go to work.

"Are you kids excited for summer?", asked Sally with a small, nearly sad smile.

She watched the four decorate cookies. Leo's were all-red, Percy's were all-blue and Annabeth's had messy, vague owl-shaped beings on them now. All three were covered with the colored sugar by now too. Luke grinned as he ruffled Percy's hair, making the younger boy huff.

"I dunno. I've never been to a summer-camp before", hummed Leo. "But if Annie and Perce and Luke are there with me, it'll be lots of fun, I'm sure!"

"Oh!", exclaimed Percy suddenly, staring at the TV magazine on the table. "Oh my gosh!"

"What?", asked Annabeth confused. "You know, we're talking about something here."

"Shush, unimportant! Look! They're going to make a new TV show!", exclaimed Percy, grabbing the magazine and leaving blue sugar-prints on it as he lifted it up. "What does it say?"

Jason Grace was smiling from the double-page and Luke rolled his eyes at that. Percy totally loved _Minor Mischief_ and they had already marked the release-date for the sequel _Major Mischief_ early next year, both starring Jason Grace. Luke took the magazine from Percy to see the article.

"Jason Grace signed on for a Disney channel TV show. _The Adventures of Young Hercules_ will be a live-action prequel of sorts to the cartoon series. Grace (9) is said to play the titular hero", read Luke amused. "With his mother Beryl Grace signed on for cameo appearances as Hercules' godly mother Hera. Both have expressed excitement about the project."

"A TV show about Hercules with Jason Grace", whispered Percy in awe and excitement.

"But the Disney movie and cartoon were so _inaccurate_ ", complained Annabeth with a frown.

Sally sighed, though with a fond look on her face. The attention span of a demigod was not exactly the longest. And Jason Grace tended to distract Percy. He had played in a couple of comedies in the past few years and Percy totally loved everything he played in. Oh well, it wasn't as though she couldn't already guess the answer to her question anyway. As long as the four of them could stay together, they were happy to face any great adventure. And so far, for them, summer-camp sounded like a great adventure. Sally just hoped it would also be a _safe_ adventure...

* * *

 _Author's note: This was SUPPOSED to be a oneshot! :D But I just love writing them as kids and getting into the details of how a canon divergent affects little things so I accidentally multi-chaptered it. So, here's a bunch of words I never expected to say: I hope you guys enjoy my first multi-chapter Jercy fic! ^o^_

 _If the plot-pitch seems familiar, that's because I pitched the idea on my tumblr (come visit me at **takaraphoenix** ;3), where it gathered enough notes for me to go "Mmmh maybe I'll write it after all"._

 _It'll be a three-part story. This, the first, pre-series. The second part focusing on the plot of PJatO and the third one focusing on HoO._

 _And, like with all my stories, you can find this on **my updating schedule on my profile** to check when it'll next be updated! ;)_


	2. The Adventures of Percy Jackson

PJatO || Jercy || PJatO || Jercy || Hollywood Heartthrob Hero || Jercy || PJatO || Jercy || PJatO

Title: Hollywood Heartthrob Hero – The Silver Screen Hero and the Real-Life Hero

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, canon divergent, celebrity crush, actor AU (kinda), fluff, pining, f/f, m/f

Main Pairing: Jason/Percy

Side Pairings: Octavian/Luke, Nico/Alabaster, Bianca/Annabeth, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse, Grover/Juniper, Tristan/Beryl

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper McLean, Thalia Grace, Annabeth Chase, Bianca di Angelo, Nico di Angelo, Alabaster C. Torrington, Octavian, Luke Castellan, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Chris Rodriguez, Clarisse la Rue, Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf, Grover Underwood, Juniper, Ethan Nakamura, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Frank Zhang, Sally Jackson, Tristan McLean, Beryl Grace, Mrs. O'Leary, Festus

Summary: Instead of giving Jason up when he was two, Beryl sobered up and got her act together. Thalia never runs away and Jason grows up with a loving mother and a nagging sister. He grows up to follow into her footsteps and he becomes a child actor, playing Hercules in a Disney live-action remake show about his childhood adventures. Percy Jackson grows up with a crush on Jason.

 **Hollywood Heartthrob Hero**

 _The Silver Screen Hero and the Real-Life Hero_

 _Part 2: The Adventures of Percy Jackson_

Percy was nine, a month shy of ten, when he first went to Camp Half-Blood. It was a really special place, because everyone there were demigods – much like Disney's _Hercules_. Just real. On their first day there, they learned that Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, Leo a son of Hephaestus and Luke a son of Hermes. When evening came and none of the gods had claimed Percy, he was bummed out. But then he learned that as an unclaimed kid, he got to stay in Hermes Cabin – which was where Luke was staying, so Percy was totally fine with that.

"Percy! Percy! Look, this is Beckendorf. He's my big brother!", exclaimed Leo excited on the next day. "He showed me around the cabin and _everyone_ there is my sibling and they all like building stuff as much as I do! It's really-really cool here! I like it here!"

Percy grinned and tilted his head a little. Beckendorf was a huge guy. He looked amused by Leo's excitement before beckoning both younger boys over to follow him, showing them the forges. That was something really exciting for Leo, but not so much for Percy.

"How about we go to the lake?", suggested Beckendorf when he noticed Percy's boredom.

"Lake?", asked Percy with sparkling eyes. "We can go swimming whenever we want?"

"Unless you have something on your schedule, yeah", confirmed Beckendorf amused.

Over the summer, playing at the lake easily became Percy's favorite thing to do at camp, though it was closely followed by playing pranks with the Stolls and Luke and Chris and of course Leo. The children of Hermes were super cool and very welcoming of Percy as their newest and youngest member. So it was fine that Annabeth and Leo were befriending their new half-siblings. It was fine when Leo was too busy in the forges, learning from Beckendorf, and it was fine when Annabeth was sparring with Clarisse la Rue in the arena, learning all the daughter of war was willing to teach. Because Percy? Percy had now found a place where he could make friends too and have fun.

/2004\

"My, I wonder who your favorite actor is, Perce", drawled Alabaster teasingly.

Percy huffed and threw a pillow at Alabaster before he returned to putting up the poster on the wall. It was an official poster of Jason Grace as Hercules. The show had premiered a few weeks ago and it was the most fun and amazing thing _ever_. When he had been at Aphrodite Cabin earlier, he had seen that Silena had a magazine with a poster and he had used his famous kitten-eyes to get her to give him the poster. Last summer had been so much fun that Percy had been eager to return this year too. His favorite things about camp were the swimming, the pranks and the pegasi. The fact that he could talk to horses had led to the conclusion Percy must be the kid of some minor nature or wild-life god. Percy was okay with that; he liked it at Hermes Cabin.

"Percy, Percy, Percy! You will _never_ guess what Leo found!", exclaimed Grover, panting.

Grover had quickly become Percy's best friend outside his adopted siblings. He was a satyr, just like Phil from _Hercules_ , only that he was much nicer and also cooler. And a bit of a scaredy cat. Well, goat. Whenever Percy wasn't busy training or playing pranks, he usually hang out with Grover.

"What is it, G-man?", asked Percy curiously, placing the last pin before getting off the bed.

"A _dragon_ ", whispered Grover. "Well, not an actual dragon, but a metal-dragon."

Percy gasped and stumbled over his own feet, making Alabaster and Ethan chuckle where they sat on Alabaster's bed playing cards. Not minding them, Percy followed Grover at top-speed to reach the clearing where Leo and Annabeth were investigating what actually looked like a dragon.

"That is so _cool_ ", whispered Percy in awe, sitting down between them.

"I want to know what makes it work and where it comes from. It looks like an automaton, but it doesn't appear to be working...", noted Annabeth with a frown, scribbling into her notebook.

"Geek", huffed Percy and rolled his eyes fondly. "Can you make it work again, Leo?"

"I... I'll try. Maybe. With Beckendorf and Jake and Nyssa and the others?", shrugged Leo. "Maybe."

"That'd be the coolest thing ever, if we had an actual dragon", grinned Percy, looking at Grover.

"Y... Yeah. The... coolest", muttered Grover unsure. "Maybe we should tell Chiron first?"

"You worry too much, G-man", huffed Percy. "Let Leo fix it up first!"

/2006\

Things had started to go wrong in the winter of 2005, when Chiron took the campers to Mount Olympus. Now, half a year later, things escalated. Percy was twelve and being blamed for stealing the Master Bolt and the Helmet of Darkness. Percy was revealed to be the son of Poseidon, which was straight-up ridiculous but also explained so much. Percy was _angry_ , because his dad had never claimed him before but now that he had to clear Poseidon's name – because Zeus thought Poseidon had sent Percy to steal the things for his dad. Percy was afraid. Terrified even. But he went on a quest, with Leo and Annabeth at his side. They managed to retrieve the stolen items and were celebrated as heroes – granted, the quest had been made easier by traveling with Festus, the dragon Leo had found and restored last year. Still, they had no idea who had stolen the things.

"Cookie?", whispered Annabeth softly.

Percy was sitting on the couch, curled together under a blanket. Annabeth and Leo sat down on either side of him and Luke turned on the TV before joining the three younger ones. Sally watched from the doorway, distraught at what her son had to go through. She had known from the moment she realized she was pregnant that her son would go through a lot in his life. But to see him go through those things at such a young age...? It broke her heart.

"We can watch _Hercules_?", offered Luke kindly as he found the right channel.

Percy perked up a little, nestled between Leo and Annabeth, enjoying his favorite show with his family. Sally pushed off the doorway and walked to sit on the armchair to watch with her children.

/2007\

"Your little brother is exhausting", noted Annabeth with two raised eyebrows.

"Oh please. Like your little brothers aren't as bad", countered Bianca with her arms crossed.

This summer's quest had been a bit different. They had gone to retrieve two demigods, Bianca and Nico di Angelo. Just to have Annabeth get abducted by a Manticore then. Which was absolutely no fun, but at least Clarisse, Luke, Leo, Percy and Grover had come to rescue her. Annabeth got along with Bianca rather well, while Nico had gladly been accepted by Leo and Percy. Currently, Nico was teaching Leo and Percy how to play his favorite card-game, Mythomagic. Artemis had tried to make both of the girls sign up to be huntresses, but Annabeth had a home to return to and her brothers to take care of. While Bianca might not have had a home, she still had her brother and Clarisse had strongly advised Bianca against it; the real fun laid in competing with the boys, not in becoming an exclusive all-girls club, not to mention the part where Artemis majorly cut into a young woman's agenda with the whole virginity-deal. She told Bianca to never accept a god's word just like that, to always weight all her options – to think on it. And if she wanted to join, she still could. But first, she should give Camp Half-Blood at least a _chance_.

While Clarisse and the others had left to save Artemis and Annabeth, Bianca and Nico went to camp and settled there. Apparently, Bianca befriended Ethan and Alabaster in that time and had Silena show her around camp, taking her under her wing.

"So, what decision did you come to, princess?", asked Clarisse as she stepped up behind them.

Clarisse was _amazing_. She was the hero of camp. Annabeth admired her a lot. The daughter of Ares wrapped one arm around Bianca's shoulders and one around Annabeth's, watching the boys.

"I think... I want to stay here. Nico definitely wants to stay here", replied Bianca tentatively.

/2008\

"This is the most amazing thing _ever_ ", whispered Nico excitedly, eyes sparkling.

"Du—ude, put your cards away", hissed Leo. "We gotta run!"

Percy rolled his eyes just a little at the two younger boys as he led the way out of the Labyrinth. Daedalus' Labyrinth, where they had encountered Kronos himself. Part of Percy still couldn't believe that twelve-year-old Nico di Angelo proved himself to be a true hero as the Ghost King, challenging Minos in his own labyrinth. Somehow, in recent years, Percy's life had become even more exciting than his favorite TV show and somehow, that was... not so cool.

"I still can't believe he was... actually... Daedalus", muttered Annabeth with an upset frown.

She was clutching Daedalus' laptop close to her chest, Bianca resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Percy, Leo, Nico and Grover had essentially collapsed on the ground, exhaustion taking them over. Nico was curled up against Mrs. O'Leary, who had really taken a licking to the young son of Hades. Which was what Nico was. Nico and Bianca were children of Hades.

"You were pretty awesome in there, Ghost King", grinned Percy and lifted a fist.

Nico's smile was blinding as he bumped his own fist against Percy's. Annabeth and Bianca slowly sank down to sit with the boys, before the masses of other campers came running up to them and celebrating them as heroes. All Percy wanted were Luke's cookies, a nap and the newest episode of _The Adventures of Young Hercules_. He grumbled when Luke came and checked them over.

"You look like shit, Percy, you will shut up and let me make sure you're not seriously hurt", grunted Luke seriously. "Mom's going to freak out if you are. And you don't want that, do you?"

"Blackmailing blackmailer", grumbled Percy and sprawled out. "Fine. Do what you must."

"Neeks! Are you alright? Are you hurt? What were you _thinking_?"

Percy didn't even bat his eyes as Alabaster came barreling through and leaned over Nico. The son of Hecate was really very attached to Nico ever since Nico had become a year-rounder and according to the Stolls, the two had bonded a lot in the past year.

"I'm fine, stop fussing", huffed Nico embarrassed and ducked his head.

"Fine my _butt_ ", grumbled Alabaster, wiping the blood off Nico's cheek. "You're bleeding."

"It's just a minor bit of blood! I'll life", groaned Nico. "Bia, make him stop."

"As your big sister, it is my duty to fuss, so I absolutely agree with Al", countered Bianca.

Alabaster grinned and high-fived with Bianca. "Okay, let's get both my favorite underworld-brats to the infirmary, because you do not look your best either, Bia. E, help me?"

Ethan sighed and nodded, offering Bianca to wrap her arm around his shoulders so he could help her walk, while Alabaster helped Nico out. Mrs. O'Leary whined as her human was taken away, so she got up and waddled after them, painting quite the ridiculous picture.

"I'm... I'm so tired", sighed Percy and yawned widely. "I need a hundred hour nap."

"Sure thing, Sleeping Beauty. Let's get you to our cabin", offered Travis.

Percy grinned as the Stolls supported him from either side and helped him up. And okay, he was sore all over, maybe Luke had been right checking him out to make sure it wasn't anything more serious. He sighed contently as Connor helped him onto his bed.

"You need anything, Perce?", asked Connor softly.

"Jason Grace...?", offered Percy with a sheepish grin.

"We might not have the real deal, but we _do_ have a TV?", offered Chris with an impish grin.

"Ya—ay", yawned Percy, scooting over a little.

While Chris, Travis and Connor set the TV up so Percy could see properly, Annabeth, Leo and Luke joined them in the cabin. Percy smiled as Luke laid down next to him so Percy could use his big brother as a pillow. He was just so exhausted. Luke pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"You did good, Perce. Now rest some", whispered Luke with a small, proud smile.

/2009\

Turning sixteen _sucked_. At least when your name was Percy Jackson. The Battle of Manhattan was hard, merciless, really. But together, they endured. Together, they _won_. And while they had to burn many flags, mourn many losses, they still tried to celebrate their victory. Some more than others. Percy, Leo and Nico were hiding behind a tree, watching Annabeth and Bianca talk softly and then finally kiss for the first time. The two girls had grown closer and closer over the past two years.

"Wo—ow! About time!", exclaimed Leo excitedly.

The two girls bolted apart and started at them with flustered cheeks. Giggling, Percy grabbed Leo by the hand and pulled him and Nico along before Bianca or Annabeth would unleash their wrath on them. The three boys reached the bonfire and collapsed breathlessly among their friends.

"Where have you three been?", asked Luke, both eyebrows raised.

"Annabeth and Bianca are now _kissing_ ", whispered Nico wide-eyed. "My sister has a _girlfriend_."

"That's cute. Don't tease them about it, Neeks", warned Alabaster and wrapped an arm around Nico's neck to pull him down and ruffle his hair. "Bia's had a crush for months now."

"Sto—op it, Ally", groaned Nico annoyed and flustered, trying to free himself.

Percy grinned and tilted his head. He wondered if Nico was even aware that he had a giant crush on Alabaster or if it had just happened to Nico without noticing. Sighing, Percy leaned back and let his eyes wander to see the other happy couples present. Beckendorf and Silena were sitting with Chris and Clarisse, they were talking about the fight, Silena berating Clarisse for the risk she had taken during it. Chris had a gentle arm wrapped around Clarisse's shoulders, his chin resting on her shoulder. Silena was half sitting on Beckendorf's lap, with his arms around her waist. They looked so content and happy together. Percy folded more in on himself. After years of war, Percy somehow found himself wanting that too. Wanting the safety of an embrace, the warmth of love, having someone to whom he was the most important person. A nearly bitter smile found its way onto his lips as Grover and Juniper approached them to sit with them, both laughing and holding hands. Another one of those happy couples. It wasn't that he was bitter about their happiness, but that he was bitter _he_ didn't have someone to whom he was the most important thing.

"You okay, Perce?", asked Grover curiously. "You spaced out."

"Mh. Yeah. I'm fine", shrugged Percy and shook his head. "Just... can't believe that the war is over. I mean. What are we going to do with our summers now, huh?"

"Go back to canoeing and Capture the Flag without the fate of the world laying in our hands? Honestly, that sounds pretty good to me", huffed Leo and elbowed Percy.

"I agree. Some peace and no more questing sound good", sighed Juniper, glaring at Grover.

"No need to glare, Juni! I am totally okay with boring days from hereon out!", agreed Grover.

Percy hummed and let his eyes wander around. Peace. Boring days. He was doubtful about that.

/2010\

Percy was grinning broadly as he sang along the lyrics to _The Prince and the Godmother_ , the newest fun live-action teen musical hit from Disney. Jason Grace was playing Prince Jordan, better known as Prince Charming, who was trying to cope with his mother's death, his mother's fairy godmother helping him through it as he finds a best friend in the stable-boy and falls in love with the daughter of the captain of the guard. It was a fun romantic movie with great songs and Jason showing off that he could also sing. At age fifteen, Jason was the biggest heartthrob for the pre-teen and early teen Disney crowd. Percy, short of turning seventeen, had the hugest crush on Jason. Okay, okay, he has had the hugest crush on Jason for years probably. It was just, he had grown up with Jason Grace. May it be Percy's favorite movies – _Minor Mischief_ and _Major Mischief_ – or his favorite TV series – _The Adventures of Young Hercules_. He had read up on all the interviews with Jason.

"You're in a particularly good mood today, Perce", noted Leo with an amused grin.

The son of Hephaestus brushed his hair out of his face, covered in grease and sweat as he was doing some repairs on Festus, who just tilted his head at Percy. Percy grinned and sat down with his brother. He turned a little to face where Alabaster and Nico were playing with Mrs. O'Leary. Nico was blushing as he held Alabaster's hand. It was such an adorable puppy-love, but now, a year after the Titan War, Nico had finally figured out that he actually had a huge crush on Alabaster. And Percy had gotten over his bitterness about being single. He'd still also like what it was like to date, but he was fine just being alive, with his family and his friends. He saved the world, if there was seriously no one seeing what a catch he was, then that was their fault.

"Yeah. It's a good day. It's a good summer so far. No quests, just... fun", grinned Percy.

"Percy! Oh gods, you will _never_ guess-", exclaimed Grover in a high-pitched voice.

Percy frowned confused at his incredibly excited friend. Before he could even ask what was going on, Grover already grabbed him and pulled him along to the center of camp where a crowd of mostly Aphrodite kids and also some others were gathered, squealing.

"New campers. Three of them. Arrived here. Together. You...", stammered Grover.

"G-man, calm down. What, who is it?", snorted Percy and rolled his eyes.

"Holy shit", whispered Leo as he caught up with them and saw. "Holy _shit_."

Percy, confused, turned to look now that the crowd dispersed some. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Jason Grace. And his sisters Thalia Grace and Piper McLean. _At camp_.

"What... What are they doing here?", hissed Percy. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"They're demigods. Definitely. I can smell that. They just showed up here", whispered Grover.

"Hey. Uhm, do you think you can help me?", asked Jason with a smile, looking at Percy. "I... I'm not really sure how we got here and everyone just... keeps squealing at me and asking me for my autograph? Where... are we? What is this place?"

Percy squealed and then immediately covered his mouth, eyes wide and cheeks dark-red. Leo choked on a laugh and stepped up a little, resting a hand on Percy's shoulder.

"This is Percy. I'm Leo. You're at Camp Half-Blood. A safe haven for demigods", replied Leo.

"Cool", nodded Jason. "What's a demigod? I mean. I know what a demigod is. I play the most popular demigod in existence on TV. But is this like... an acting camp? Where you stay in-character at all times? Oh! Is this like the set for the next season? Patty said they wanted to try and change things up a little this season. That's cool."

Grover and Leo exchanged a look at that before Grover sighed. "I'll go and get Luke."

Jason looked confused. Wow. He was so cute when he was confused. Percy bit his lips to keep from squealing again. Golden-blonde hair swept back out of his face, that billion-watt smile in place and his eyes were even bluer than on TV! Percy's entire face felt like it was on fire.

"I don't think this is about acting, Jay", grunted Thalia and gritted her teeth. " _Real_ demigods."

The young woman had her arms crossed over her chest. Thalia Grace, twenty-two, studying music at the University of California to be close to her family. Percy needed to remember not to say any of that out loud or he'll look like the creepy weird stalker he was.

"Guys! Luke is gone!", called Grover out confused. "He's... nowhere. Instead, I found... her."

At that, Percy managed to tear his eyes away from his celebrity crush. Luke was easy to find, normally. He frowned even more at the Latina following Grover. What was going on here...?

* * *

 _Author's note: Aaand we covered PJatO! Which means next, and last, we are covering Heroes of Olympus! ;)_


	3. The Adventures of Jason Grace

PJatO || Jercy || PJatO || Jercy || Hollywood Heartthrob Hero || Jercy || PJatO || Jercy || PJatO

Title: Hollywood Heartthrob Hero – The Silver Screen Hero and the Real-Life Hero

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, canon divergent, celebrity crush, actor AU (kinda), fluff, pining, f/f, m/f

Main Pairing: Jason/Percy

Side Pairings: Octavian/Luke, Nico/Alabaster, Bianca/Annabeth, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse, Grover/Juniper, Tristan/Beryl

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper McLean, Thalia Grace, Annabeth Chase, Bianca di Angelo, Nico di Angelo, Alabaster C. Torrington, Octavian, Luke Castellan, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Chris Rodriguez, Clarisse la Rue, Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf, Grover Underwood, Juniper, Ethan Nakamura, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Frank Zhang, Sally Jackson, Tristan McLean, Beryl Grace, Mrs. O'Leary, Festus

Summary: Instead of giving Jason up when he was two, Beryl sobered up and got her act together. Thalia never runs away and Jason grows up with a loving mother and a nagging sister. He grows up to follow into her footsteps and he becomes a child actor, playing Hercules in a Disney live-action remake show about his childhood adventures. Percy Jackson grows up with a crush on Jason.

 **Hollywood Heartthrob Hero**

 _The Silver Screen Hero and the Real-Life Hero_

 _Part 3: The Adventures of Jason Grace_

Jason was scowling and pacing Cabin One. Zeus Cabin. Because, _apparently_ , he was the son of Zeus. Literally, not just on-screen. Honestly, he had always expected to have an identity crisis at one point – most child-actors did – but never like this. He kept throwing nasty glares at his sister.

"Oh, stop it", sighed Thalia and rolled her eyes. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Tell me who our father is!", exclaimed Jason angrily. "All my life, I've been wondering who our father was. And... And you knew for years and never told me. We are literal demigods and you never thought you should tell me that?! What the _fuck_ , Thalia!"

Thalia sighed, looking mildly guilty. "You're fifteen. You were just... a kid. And I... Okay, let me start at the beginning. I found out as a kid that I could control electricity and see monsters and I... I figured out that there is this stuff that makes it so normal people can't see them. When I first noticed the two of you could also see monsters, I... I don't know, I think it's some kind of magic, but I managed to use it to coat you and keep you safe."

"Right. So... I'm a demigod _too_?", asked Piper wide-eyed, staring at her siblings.

"I don't know who your mom is", shrugged Thalia. "But... I... I figured it'd be better not to tell you. I just wanted you guys to have a normal childhood. I mean, as normal as it could be."

Snorting, Jason stormed out of the cabin. Sure. She just wanted to keep them safe. And now they had been hijacked and placed here, wherever here was. A camp where demigods were taught. Glaring, he kicked a stone into the water. This was stupid. And annoying.

"Hey. You okay?", asked a boy with a gigantic dog. "I'm Nico. That's Mrs. O'Leary."

"She looks like Zerberus, just with one head", muttered Jason absentmindedly.

"She _is_ a hellhound", grinned Nico and sat down on a log. "I'm the son of Hades. I learned that when I was twelve. It sucks. Gods leaving their kids hanging up here to do quests. Though you kinda know about all of that, what with _Hercules_ , huh?"

Jason made a face. "Does... everyone here watch that show?"

"It's the favorite show of one of my best friends", laughed Nico. "It's like... mandatory, yeah. Also, to piss off Annabeth because of how inaccurate it is to the myths."

Jason frowned and ran his fingers through his hair. "What... What's gonna happen now...?"

"You came at a real bad time and we don't think it's a coincident", replied Nico with a shrug, throwing a stone into the lake and letting it skip over the water. "Luke, who is like our camp's leader, disappeared. Instead this Reyna girl without memories appeared. So... most are kind of more busy searching for Luke. But we think that the things are kind of related. Your appearance, his disappearance. You gotta... sit tight and wait until the Cabin Heads come to a decision on what to do next. Don't worry, even without Luke, they are pretty well-organized."

Nodding slowly, Jason turned to side-eye Nico. "Cool. Can... you show me around a bit?"

"Sure", agreed Nico and jumped up. "Come along. I'll show you all the best places."

And he did. Camp was pretty impressive and Jason kind of wanted to steal a lot of it for the next season of _The Adventures of Young Hercules_ , because Hercules going to a summer-camp where he could meet other famous demigods like maybe Theseus and Perseus, that'd make such a cool season and it had been kind of stale last season, with a mild drop in ratings. Which, honestly, wasn't much of a surprise, after all the show was in its sixth season right now.

/break\

Percy was rubbing his face in utter irritation. Clarisse and Annabeth had kept arguing, with Bianca backing her girlfriend up, while Travis and Connor were the loudest – standing in since their older brother was currently missing. Silena tried to peace-keep, but it wasn't very effective. In the end, they agreed that they needed search-parties to find Luke, while Reyna would take the quest given to her to find Hera. And, as they guessed, the three new demigods had been placed in their laps to help with that. So they agreed to send Jason and Piper with Reyna, while Thalia would stay here with them to answer some questions – because unlike Jason and Piper, Thalia seemed fully aware of all their heritage so she might be their best shot to get to the bottom of this.

"Hey", interrupted a voice as Percy was packing.

"Wha...", started Percy irritated just to blank as he turned around to face _Jason Grace_.

Wide-eyed, Percy tried to cover the posters on his cabin's wall – he had moved into Cabin Three after the Titan War, because he was now sixteen and wanted a little more privacy. But there were too many Jason Grace posters to cover them all. Jason grinned broadly as he saw that.

"Nico showed me around earlier. And he told me you're like... the big-shot hero around here. Son of Poseidon. Savior of the world...? According to Nico. Anyway, the three of us seem to have something in common there, as 'children of the Big Three'. And Nico mentioned the guy who's gone missing is your big brother", rambled Jason before running his fingers through his hair. "Anyway. What... What I wanted to say was... good luck. I might be angry with Thalia right now, but if _anything_ happened to her, it'd break my heart. So, yeah, I hope you find your brother."

Percy blinked, wide-eyed and red-cheeked, before nodding. "Thanks. Uhm. Good luck on your own quest? You... sure you want to go on it? We got many veteran questers to go instead."

"No. No, the way I understand it, everyone here is really close to your brother and worried about finding him. You guys should focus on that. Besides, the quest like... specifically was directed toward Pipes, me and... uh... Raia was it...?", shrugged Jason.

"Reyna. Yeah. Just... be careful", nodded Percy with a concerned frown.

Jason offered Percy a breathtaking, confident smile. "I'll be fine. I'm the great son of Zeus."

Percy sputtered at that and laughed, his cheeks heating up. Wow. Jason Grace was _so cute_.

/break\

There was _most definitely_ too much going on.

Hera had abducted Luke and apparently swapped him with the leader of the Romans – which, oh yeah, was a thing that existed. Reyna was what they called a praetor, or so she reported after returning from her quest. Apparently, the second Great Prophecy was upon them and Hera thought it was time to mingle Romans and Greeks. She also apparently thought that they definitely needed the children of Zeus, so she had just snatched Thalia, Jason and their stepsister Piper from their home in Los Angeles and put them in Camp Half-Blood. Absolutely ridiculous.

Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Grover and Leo led the search-parties for Luke, after Percy called his mom to tell her that Luke was missing. She was clearly distressed, because the war was over and her children were supposed to be safe, but Percy had to go out there and search for Luke. It was one of the times Percy came to really appreciate his stepfather Paul, a really nice guy and mortal. As long as Paul was there, Percy knew Sally would be fine. Until Percy could return Luke home.

It just made Percy so _angry_. Luke was twenty-four. He had just graduated college, had studied hard in the past years during the war so he could become a proper adviser at camp. After this summer, he was supposed to replace Mister D, who had finished his sentence early due to the Titan War. Luke was supposed to live his life now... and instead, he had been abducted.

"I'm sorry you didn't find your brother", offered Jason gently as he sat down next to Percy.

Percy was at the docks, with his feet kicking in the water. He wanted to go out there again, to keep searching for Luke. But that was futile, according to the cabin-heads. Reyna only remembered bits and pieces so far, her memory was returning slowly, and she did not yet remember the location of her old home. It was pointless running around the US like headless chickens. Instead, they were to prepare for yet another war. Intense training, building a giant flying ship for reasons of transportation into the war – they vaguely knew that the other camp was far away (which made a lot of sense; to keep them apart). Percy didn't really care. He just wanted his brother back home and not another war to fight.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too", muttered Percy frustrated before it caught up with him with whom he was talking. "Uhm. You... You did good during your quest, they say?"

"I guess", shrugged Jason and winced. "Bruised ribs. Gonna heal, they say. But it's fine. Yeah. Reyna is... Reyna is pretty cool. I think we hit it off."

"...Oh", nodded Percy with a small frown. "That's nice."

"Yeah!", agreed Jason with a broad grin. "I'm not so good at making friends. Hazard of the job, I guess. But it's fine. I got Piper. She's like... a live-in best friend."

"I know that feeling", whispered Percy with a sad smile. "Leo is my live-in best friend."

"So... how is it...? I mean. Your family. You're a son of Poseidon, Leo's a son of Hephaestus and uhm... Luke was it, right? He's a son of Hermes... your mom...", drawled Jason awkwardly before blushing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry. It's none of my business."

"No, it's fine", shrugged Percy with a small smile (Jason was so cute when he blushed!). "Luke, Leo and Annabeth, they... mom took them in years ago. They've been my siblings since then. They were alone, living on the streets. Being a demigod is... hard, you know? But Luke's moved out years ago for college. And because it's been a bit... crowded at home. And... Annabeth, she... after the last war, she reached out for her biological family, been trying to reconnect with them. I figured... I figured our lives were going to even out now. Become normal. Not... more messy... and... and Luke is the one who _knows_. He knows what to do. And... without him..."

"Hey", whispered Jason gently, resting a reassuring hand on Percy's shoulder. "We're going to find your brother, I promise. I'll help you. He'll be fine."

Percy stared wide-eyed, feeling oddly warm and reassured by Jason's words, making him smile a little. "Thanks. I... I really hope so. But – and no offense there – you don't exactly have a lot of experience with actual wars, unlike me and the others..."

"None taken", laughed Jason and shook his head. "I mean, it was a real close call during the quest. I'm aware. Reyna had to carry mine and Piper's weight a lot. Sure, both me and Piper know how to physically fight, thanks to the stunt-training and... actually... Thalia, who taught us sword-fighting when we were little, but... I have no idea how to control my powers."

"That's okay", nodded Percy and got up. "Come on. I'll teach you."

"You? But... you're a child of Poseidon?", offered Jason confused.

"Yeah. Elemental is elemental", shrugged Percy with a grin. " Sure, your sister would be more well-equipped to teach you, but... the way I saw it, you're not exactly talking right now. Come on."

For a moment, Jason looked thoughtful and tilted his head. "I mean, Piper has her... new big half-sister teaching her all about what a daughter of Aphrodite can do... Sure. Okay. Show me around, great real-life hero! I'm eager to learn much from you."

Percy smiled and blushed again. Honestly, he needed to stop blushing around Jason, it was more than just embarrassing. With a shake of his head did he lead the way to the arena. On their way, they met Nico, who was more than happy to go with them and help out too, considering he knew a thing or two about controlling an elemental superpower.

"What? Got no boyfriend to chase after?", teased Percy with a broad grin.

Nico sputtered and glared. "Alabaster is busy with the other Grace. Apparently, Thalia has the ability to manipulate the Mist. To a degree that is usually reserved to children of Hecate, so Ally is more than interested in hearing about that."

"Ah. You're bored because your boyfriend ditched you", nodded Percy solemnly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't impose on your alone-time with your crush, huh?", countered Nico.

Percy's eyes were so wide, they nearly fell out of his head as he elbowed Nico. "Quiet down!"

Nico laughed at that and dodged Percy, while Jason watched them confused. "What did you say?"

"Nothing. It's fine. Come on", grinned Nico reassuringly. "Show us what you got."

/break\

Building the flying ship, even under Beckendorf's expert leadership and with all hands on deck (quite literally so), still took them two full months. Two full months in which Percy really got to know Jason Grace, as an actual person and not a star. Percy finally stopped constantly referring to Jason as 'Jason Grace' in that mildly high-pitched voice. The two sparred a lot, with swords as much as with their powers. And while Nico and Percy did their best to try help Jason learn about them, in the end Jason forgave Thalia and they rekindled, Jason agreeing to having Thalia teach him about his own powers. Piper all the while really bonded with Leo, while under the mentorship of Silena.

"We're going to get your brother back, Perce", assured Jason with a carefree smile.

Percy sighed where he was leaning against the rail of the Princess Andromeda, the flying ship they had built. Seven Half-Bloods answered this call, as the prophecy had claimed. Percy, Jason, Piper, Reyna, Annabeth, Leo and Nico. That was the crew they had agreed upon, while Bianca had retreated to the underworld to close the Doors of Death that stood apparently open – taking the quest together with Ethan and Alabaster, her two best friends. Clarisse and the other senior campers stayed back to rally the troops and prepare for battle.

"We're so close", sighed Percy with a frown, staring toward the city they were heading for.

"Fi—inally. I swear, Luke is never gonna hear the end of this", groaned Leo frustrated.

"Agreed", sighed Annabeth irritated. "I IMed Bianca. They're making good progress. She says they're going to join us as soon as possible."

"Great. Everybody loves having their big sister tag along on their epic quest", huffed Nico.

"Ye—eah", chorused Percy and Leo pointedly.

"I will act like I didn't hear that", drawled Annabeth. "Besides, your sister is going to bring your boyfriend so stop complaining, Nico. Let's focus on getting Luke back."

Percy and Jason exchanged a grin at the blush on Nico's cheeks. Reyna snorted and shook her head where she was sitting with Piper, the daughter of Aphrodite braiding Reyna's hair. After two months, Reyna was looking forward to returning home. She really hoped Frank was okay without her and able to control their augur even with Reyna not being around.

/break\

Controlling the augur, as it turned out, was an art-form Luke Castellan had perfected over the past two months in New Rome. It didn't take Percy and the others long to understand why Reyna was so dumbstruck when they learned that Luke and Octavian were dating. The augur was a bit of a pain in the ass. Still, thanks to Luke's influences and his status as the new praetor, they had a rather easy time making the Romans join them for the war. Greeks and Romans were actually working together to battle Gaia and the Giants. The celebration in the aftermath was held in New Rome, a true Roman orgy ( _Not like that, you perverts! They weren't all about sex, urgh_ , was what Annabeth had told the Stolls when they refused to stop giggling).

"I can't believe we won another war", sighed Luke exhausted as he sank down next to Percy.

He wrapped one arm around his little brother, Percy happily leaning against him, while a rather frustrated Octavian came to sit on Luke's other side. The augur seemed rather smitten with Luke, which was borderline cute if it weren't Octavian and he weren't such a pain to everyone else.

"Mom's going to be so happy when you get home", whispered Percy with a small smile.

"So will I", sighed Luke. "I... really missed you all. But you did good while I was gone."

"Thanks", grinned Percy and ducked his head.

"So, how about you get your great prize?", suggested Luke with a wink, nudging Percy.

For a moment, Percy frowned confused, but then he saw who Luke was pointing at. Jason, who was talking with Reyna and Frank, learning all about New Rome. Percy blushed furiously.

"Don't be ridiculous, Luke!", exclaimed Percy annoyed and flustered.

"Grace has been staring at your arse a total of nine times over this ridiculous quest", sighed Octavian agitated. "He quite clearly wants you. So go there and leave me and Lucas alone."

Luke huffed and rolled his eyes. "Not my choice of words, but basically yes. The two of you fought well side by side during this quest. And Annabeth said you've become really close friends."

Blushing and ducking his head, Percy decided to opt out of the conversation, instead approaching the trio. They nearly instantly stopped talking when Percy joined them, Frank grinning.

"Hey, Percy, we were just-", started Frank, just to be elbowed by Reyna. "Ouch. Oh. Uhm. I think Leo called me? Yeah. Leo totally called me. Gotta go. Bye!"

"And I had something I wanted to discuss with Piper. See you later", smiled Reyna mischievously.

Jason glared at his traitorous new friends before turning toward Percy. Percy Jackson, who had been just a regular kid when they first met, but it had not taken Jason long to realize that Percy was what Jason had always just pretended to be on screen – a hero. Not just as a demigod and the savior of the world, but also because he was kind and sweet and helpful and had the biggest heart.

"What... was that about?", asked Percy confused, staring after them.

"That...", started Jason annoyed, ruffling his own hair in frustration. "That was about them being stupid. I... uh... There's something I told them during the quest. And... they gave me bad advise."

"Why? What kind of advise did they give you?", asked Percy concerned.

"Uhm. There's a person I like. And they think I should just... tell them", sighed Jason.

"That sounds like good advise", shrugged Percy, covering his wince pretty well.

"But... I'm just worried. How would I know if they actually like me back for... for who I am?", asked Jason softly, a frown marring his features. "And... doesn't just like me for my fame and the persona I play on screen. It happened before, a lot. People expecting me to _be_ Hercules..."

"Well, they'd be really stupid if they didn't actually like you for you", huffed Percy with a downright offended look on his face. "You're an amazing guy, Jason! You're strong, determined, a great friend, reliable, funny, handsome. Look at how quickly you learned to adapt to being a demigod, how hard you worked to control your powers, how much you risked during this war. You could have just turned your back and returned to your cozy life, but you didn't. Because you're a good person, Jason. Anyone would be an idiot if they didn't like you for who you are."

It took Percy a moment and the look on Jason's face to realize just how fanboy-y he sounded. And he thought he had gotten over this, really. Embarrassed, he covered his eyes. Hopefully he hadn't said too much. But Jason just kept gaping at him with red cheeks. Wait. Red cheeks?

"I like you so much, Percy", whispered Jason softly. "Like... _so_ much. At first, I just thought it was like hero-worship, since you're an actual hero. Or maybe because you were like... my first friend outside my sisters. But then there's Nico and Annabeth and Leo and Reyna and Frank and... none of them make me feel the way you do. So... uhm... I like _you_ , Percy."

"Me? No. I mean. Me? _You_?", sputtered Percy wide-eyed and flustered.

But then Jason leaned in and pecked his lips. "Ye—ep. You. I want you to be my boyfriend."

Percy felt like melting. And he did. Well, he melted right into Jason's arms. Now this made the celebration feel like an _actual_ celebration. He smiled and ducked his head as he wrapped his arms around Jason's neck. Jason Grace. His _boyfriend_. Percy couldn't believe it, any of it, but it was real.

 _~*~ The End ~*~_

* * *

 _Author's note: And that's it for this canon divergent! I hope you had as much fun as I did! As always, thank you for reading and even more so for reviewing, because reviews feed my soul! ;) I hope to see you around on whatever comes next!_


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